I read with interest the commentary, “Liquor stores don’t belong in Baltimore neighborhoods” (June 24). Many years ago, I was involved with an after-school program with a local Baltimore City high school. With the kids, we discussed and did projects that involved engineering and science.
There was one project where the students were given the opportunity to plan a city including placement of homes, light and heavy industry, schools, hospitals and — corner stores. Each of the five or so groups of students placed the corner stores as far away from the homes as possible. They even had heavy industries between the corner stores and the homes. This was at least 30 years ago and I initially didn’t understand their decision because I associated corner stores to a convenience store where you could walk to get that one grocery item you needed rather than drive to a larger market.
When asked why the separation, each group explained that they associated corner stores with the selling of liquor. Wherever liquor was sold, there was trouble at that location. And liquor caused trouble in the neighborhood and with certain families. The article stated that “some might say this was 45 years too late.'” I’d say it was at least 30 or 40 years late.
Patrick Walsh, Linthicum
